Project Zoom
by phoenixblossoms
Summary: A new speedster villain is in town calling himself Kid Zoom, and he has an obsession with Kid Flash. Jinx reluctantly decides to help KF. Afterall, if anyone is taking out Kid Flash, it's gonna be her, not some psycho speedster no one's heard of before.
1. The Imposter in Green and Black

**Chapter 1: The Imposter in Green and Black**

**by phoenixblossoms**

**Notes:**

_Copy/pasted from AO3_

_(See the end of the chapter for notes.)_

Crouching on the rooftop of STAR laboratory, she should be more nervous than she was. There was no team watching her back tonight. Maybe never again. Kid Flash was an idiot, but he was right about one thing. She could do better than them. He was wrong about the rest of it though. She was no hero. A dozen robberies and roses later and he was still as insistent as the first night she'd met him. Maybe even more so. Jinx would never admit it out loud, but his unusual faith towards her had taken root in her mind and refused to be shaken. It was annoying and with each new rose came the need to prove him wrong. So, when Madame Rouge contacted her about a rumored super weapon that could take down speedsters, she couldn't resist. The shapeshifter probably thought she was going to hand whatever it was over to her. Jinx rolled her eyes. As if she was helping that bitch again. No, she was going to destroy that weapon and all the research.

Nobody was messing with Kid Flash but her.

_Project Zoom._ She snorted. What a ridiculous name. Made her wonder if this rumor had any truth to it. Slinking down the pitch dark hallway, she was thankful for her natural night vision. Jinx eyes narrowed as she spied the door Rouge had told her about. Guards were non-existent. An easy mark. It was… suspicious to say the least. Maybe Rouge set her up as payback for kicking her ass. Jinx tensed at the thought and raised her hand, ready to hex whatever was in the room. She stepped inside and blinked in surprise. It was completely empty.

A familiar breeze blew by her, and she groaned.

"Really, can't take one night off can you Ki-" She turned around and blinked in surprise. "What's with the costume change? I have to say, I prefer the red and yellow. Green and black, _so_ not your color."

He looked at her, a crooked grin on his face, one she hadn't seen before. It made her hair stand on end. And his eyes, the glint was a few levels creepier than she was used to.

Jinx took a step back as the realization hit her.

"You're not Kid Flash, are you?"

_"NoI'mhisfriend,"_ his speech was garbled, like a skipping record._ "I'm Here To Make Himbetterand You'reinthewayofthat. I'm Afraid You'll Have To Go."_

The imposter cackled, and Jinx decided hex now, ask questions later.

She snapped her fingers and sent a bolt of pink his way. Missed. The spot he'd been now marred by her hex, but he was nowhere in sight. Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind and felt something wet in her ear. Shrieking angrily, Jinx sent a hex wave through her body. Her attacker stumbled backwards, dazed from the shock, and she gave him a swift kick to the head.

"Ewww!" She wiped the slobber from her ear. "Hold still, you-you _pervert!"_

Of course, Not Kid Flash didn't listen. He rolled over and dashed away from another hex. The green and black blur pinned her, his hand tight around her throat. Stars threatened her vision as he slammed her head into the wall. She tried to scream, but his hands were wrapped so tight she couldn't breath. Through her blurred vision, she could see his crazed smile. The sick freak was enjoying this. Her hands grasped at his wrists, desperate electric pink exploding between them.

Smoke filled the corridor as she stumbled back to her feet, gasping for air, her eyes glowing. She tried to stop shaking, but couldn't. Another minute of him strangling her and she would have been done. A strong wind blew away the smoke, and she screamed as she fired indiscriminately in its direction.

"Woah, calm down Jinxy!" Red and yellow stopped in front of her, and she paused, trying to push back her tears. He spoke gently, the kind of voice one reserves for cornered wounded animals. His blue eyes were full of worry. He'd never seen her so scared before. "It's just me."

She didn't fully believe him. That thing, whatever it was, had been fast. Fast enough to change outfits. The thought may have sounded ridiculous, but she couldn't shake it, not with her throat still burning and his crazed laughter still echoing in her ears.

When he stepped closer, she lit her eyes up threateningly.

"Prove it!" Her voice cracked, and she hated how weak it made her sound, "D-do something stupid you think is charming."

"You think I'm charming?"

He grinned. It was that stupid, almost charming smile that made his dimpled cheeks pinch, not that she had been looking close enough to notice such things. She breathed again and lowered her trembling hands.

"Ugh, no,_ I_ think you're _stupid._" Her biting remark lacked its usual bite. "You think you're charming."

With a short wheeze, Jinx collapsed against the wall for support. Her head was pounding, and her neck burned. Immediately, the hero was by her side, gently offering support without even thinking about how this could totally be another trap. It almost made her smile. Stupid, naive hero.

"You're definitely you," she muttered.

He brushed a hand against her neck, and she flinched.

"What _happened?_ Who did this?"

"Ask your speedster friend in green and black."

Kid looked confused, "Green and black? I don't know any speedster like that."

"Well he said he was your friend, or at least I _think_ that's what he said. I don't know, he was talking all weird." Jinx pushed herself to her feet and past Kid Flash, who followed her like a worried puppy dog. "Any more questions, Speedy?"

"Wrong hero, and yeah, a few." He sped in front of her, "Starting with what are you doing here? Jinx, I thought you were done with the Hive."

"Done with the Hive? Yes. Done being a bad guy? No." She looked up at the hole in the ceiling she had dropped in from. Usually she could make the jump no problem, but her legs felt dangerously like jello. "Mind giving me a boost?"

"Mind telling me what happened?" He crossed his arms, a rare look of seriousness across his face. "The full story, please."

She gave an unconcerned huff, like she hadn't been fighting some psycho just a few minutes ago.

"I got a call from Rouge, something about a weapon that could do some real damage to annoying fast guys like you."

"_Jinx_," he sounded disappointed, and she told herself she wasn't bothered by it.

"What? I wasn't going to _use_ it." She snapped, "I was going to destroy it, make sure that stuck up french bit-"

"Language!" He cut her off with a smile. Then he gave her that look. The one that was usually followed by some speech about how good she was. A speech she really didn't feel like hearing tonight. "It almost sounds like you were worried about me."

"Don't be ridiculous." She rolled her eyes to make an extra show of how little she cared. "I'm just not about to let someone else beat you. If anyone is going to take you out, it'll be _me_."

"If you wanna take me out all you gotta do is ask." Kid winked, and she groaned.

"Anyway, the room was empty. I think Rouge set me up because, next thing I know, your evil twin brother is trying to kill me! When I find him-"

"Wait, twin? I don't have a twin."

"Well, he looked just like you, save for the suit and freaky grin." Jinx's nose wrinkled, "Never wear black and green. You'll look like the grinch."

"Noted." His look grew serious again. "Your neck looks really bad."

Her hand went instinctively to her burnt neck. It was starting to blister and she winced, "Yeah, well getting strangled at super speeds ain't a joyride."

Kid looked at her for a while, contemplating what to do. She had technically been caught breaking and entering, but nothing had been stolen. If anything, it seemed she had done more help than harm. And she was hurt. There wasn't really another choice in his mind.

"I'm gonna patch you up."

It wasn't a question and next thing she knew they were somewhere else. Her head felt a little dizzy from the speed, though that could also just be the concussion. Giving the place a once over, she thought it was a rather ordinary apartment. Lived in, but not terribly messy. The couch was crooked and the TV was on, but it seemed they were the only ones there.

"Where..?" She trailed off as a wave of nausea overtook her.

"My place." He shrugged like he hadn't just invited a supervillain into his living room, "I can get you patched up. It'll be somewhere safe to sleep tonight."

"That's what I thought, I just didn't think you were actually stupid enough to offer." She was extra snappy tonight. He couldn't blame her though. Obviously she'd had a hell of a night. "I'm leaving before you do something else stupid."

"Jinx, please." She paused at that. Maybe because she could hear the extra layer of desperation in his voice. "You're hurt and apparently there's some crazy guy after you. I'm not leaving you alone."

"I can take care of myself. I don't need your charity, _Kid_."

She spat his name out like it was venom in her mouth and hoped her attitude distracted him from the way her legs threatened to buckle out from under her. Maybe someone else would have missed it, but he never did.

"It's not charity." His hand braced her back, "I just want to help."

"Help? Hah! Yeah right."

She started to walk away despite looking a few seconds from passing out. He wished she didn't have to be so stubborn. He blocked her way, and she gave him a halfhearted glare.

"Sit down." His voice was somehow gentle and stern at the same time.

Her head spun, and she all but fell back onto the couch. "I'm only sitting 'cause my head hurts. Not 'cause you said so."

It sounded childish, but she was too out of it to care. She blinked, and his face was mere inches away from hers. So close she could see herself in the blue of his eyes. So close she could kiss him.

"Ooo_kaay,_" His ears turned bright red making her giggle. She didn't realize why. He almost didn't realize it, the kiss had been so brief, just a brush that left his lips tickled. "You definitely have a concussion." His eyes flicked down to her lips. Jinx was smiling. It wasn't her usual mischievous smirk or her calculated grin. It was relaxed and soft and, _"Wow."_

He'd never seen her smile like that before.

**Notes:**

_Evil speedsters are scary! Kid Zoom, as he'll later call himself, isn't the same as in the comics. He's a sort of amalgamation of that character and Zoom, or at least that's what I'm basing him off of. Anyway, let me know what you think_


	2. Breakfast and a Light Show

**Chapter 2: Breakfast and A Light Show**

Chapter by phoenixblossoms

**Notes:**

_Copy pasted from AO3, if you see any weird formatting errors please let me know._

_(See the end of the chapter for notes.)_

Jinx had been sleeping with one eye open since leaving the HIVE. So, when she woke to the smell of bacon and eggs, feeling strangely well rested she knew something was wrong. Deciding to play it safe, she peeked one eye open. No large windows facing the bay, the TV wasn't an impressive 75 inch flat screen, and the couch she was laying on had a loose spring that was digging into her ribs. In other words, this wasn't the vacation home she'd been crashing in for the last week, and she had no idea how she'd gotten here or who the person humming in the kitchen was.

Calm down. She took a deep breath. Remember your training. Slowly, Jinx took inventory. Her hands weren't bound, her dress had a rip on the hem of the skirt, white bandages wrapped around her sore neck… _Her neck!_ She remembered the previous night's mishaps. Madame Rouge had set her up, there had been that wanna be Kid Flash, and then the real Kid had showed up. He'd taken her back to his place. Her memories were a blank after that. She must've passed out from the concussion.

She sat up with a groan, prompting the hero in the kitchen to turn his head her way.

"Morning Jinxy!" He said, his voice all chipper. She glared at him and his dumb, pink 'kiss the cook' apron. "Hope you're hungry. I made a lot of everything."

Is he really this stupid? Jinx pondered and then said, "I'm leaving."

She had just put one foot on the ground when Kid appeared in front of her with a pout on his face.

"C'mon Jinxy," He was practically whining. "I made extra bacon. Everyone loves bacon… Well except BB. He's vegetarian though, so he doesn't count."

Jinx rubbed the bridge of her nose in exasperation. It was too early in the morning to be dealing with Kid's ridiculousness.

"Fine." She growled, "but there better be coffee."

Kid paused at that, "Hmm, coffee and speedsters don't mix, but I can run and get some real quick." He disappeared in a gust of wind and returned just as fast, looking a little sheepish. "I forgot to ask how do you take your coffee?"

She wanted to say black, but at the same time, she really needed to be able to drink it, "Two creamers, two sugars."

He flashed her his signature grin before racing away. A few minutes later, he returned with what she'd never admit had to be the best cup of coffee she'd ever had. She had to hold back her smile as she sat at the counter. There was a mountain of waffles, a pile of bacon, and three huge bowls of scrambled eggs.

Jinx stole a plate and some food. It made her a little angry how good it was. She had never pictured Kid Flash to be capable of making his own meals. Then again, with how much he must eat, it made sense. In the time it took her to finish her one waffle, Kid Flash had already finished a meal for twelve. It would have been impressive if it wasn't so disgusting.

"Sho, we nee do fid da ewa shpeedshter ad-" He must have noticed the way her nose scrunched up because he froze mid-bite looking like a deer caught in headlights. Swallowing his food, he said with a flushed face, "Uh… sorry. Not used to the company."

She shrugged, "I've seen worse. Have you looked at the boys I've been living with the past year and a half? I mean Mammoth and Billy Numerous don't exactly scream table manners."

He laughed at that, and she looked away when she caught herself staring at the way his dimples scrunched his mask up.

"Anyway, what were you saying? Something about washing a t-shirt?"

Kid looked at her like she'd grown an extra head before bursting out in laughter again.

"Washing a t-shirt?" He managed between his chuckles to say, "What? No, I said we need to find that evil speedster."

"_We_," her tone made him swallow his laughter. "There is no _we_, Kid Flash. How many times do I need to say it?" She slammed her fist on the table, making her coffee cup shake. " I am a villain! I mean, should I spell it out for you? V-I- double L- A-I-N!"

"Jinx," In spite of her angry outburst, his voice was all soft and gentle. She hated it. "You're not-"

His words were cut short by the buzzing of his communicator.

"Ugh, Doctor Light?" Kid groaned.

Jinx snorted, "The dimmest bulb in the junk drawer. You would really think someone with Doctor in their name would be a bit brighter. Then again, poor soul probably got his doctorate off of Ebay."

"Ha, good one Jinxy!" He got a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "You know, you already excell at Trash Talking 101. That's like 25% of superheroing."

"And it's 50% of Super Villainy. I aced that actual class in Hive Academy."

If it weren't for her dry tone, he would have thought she was joking.

"Huh, you don't say."

"Yup. Advanced Insults with Cheshire." She smirked, "It was right after Femme Fatale: Mastering the Superpower of Seduction. Wanna know what grade I got in that class?"

Jinx leaned closer, forcing Kid Flash to lean back slightly in order to avoid their noses from bumping. Raising an unmarked brow, she watched his eyes flit to her lips and barely managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Boys.

"I- uh…" His ears were bright red as he stumbled through his words. Then, as quickly as she had flustered him, he recovered, a charming grin gracing his face. "Well, I'd say you're a solid A+."

The T-communicator continued to buzz, and she couldn't stop her eye roll any longer.

"Don't you have a c list supervillain to stop?"

He had a glint in his eye she didn't much care for.

"Well, actually, I can't exactly leave you here unattended. You know, being the dangerous criminal that you are." Her eyes lit up in a warning, seeing where his words were taking this, "I'll just have to take you with me. Who knows, maybe after seeing me in action you'll decide to give heroing a chance."

"I have never," She was quite suddenly picked up and carried across town, "heard a more moronic… idea."

Kid Flash smiled as he avoided her angry hex. They were standing in front of an electronics store which was suffering from a blackout thanks to Doctor Light stealing all of their light bulbs. Ugh, what a sorry excuse for a criminal.

"Ah! Kid Flash! A worthy adversary for sure, and you've brought a friend? How strange! Is that Jinx? Nevertheless, you are no match for the power of the LIGHT!" He sent a beam of light at them which Kid swiftly dodged, Jinx still in his arms. She shoved him away with an indignant glare. "AH! You are fast, but can you outspeed the light?!" Kid laughed joyfully as he proved he could do just that. "Hmm, perhaps this calls for a change of tactics. You may be fast, but your partner is-"

"We are not partners or _friends_ or anything!" Kid almost looked a little hurt at that. Good. "I am not with him!"

She pointed at Kid who pouted in response. Just to prove her point, she sent a hex at him, which the hero narrowly dodged. He appeared next to Doctor Light, leaning against a pole like he had no worries in the world. It was infuriating.

"Ah! So you've come to assist the light? How sweet of you, but I'm not looking for a side kick at the moment." Kid laughed while Jinx made a horrified noise in the back of her throat. "Ah, but perhaps I should consider. No, no oh I simply cannot! Your powers have nothing to do with light. Yes, that's why- but don't cry over it dearie…"

"No, I'm not, ugh! Forget this!"

With a sweep of her hand, she sent a huge hex flying at both of them. Kid barely noticed in time to dodge while Doctor Light was too busy carrying on to notice. He was out cold by the time he hit the pavement.

Kid Flash disappeared for a minute. When he returned, Doctor Light was nowhere to be seen. He must've dropped him off at the nearest jail cell. Good riddance. If only Jinx could get rid of Kid so easily.

"Nice one!" He went for a high-five which was promptly ignored. He was much less bothered by it than she would have liked. "Next time we'll just have to work on that teamwork thing and then-"

"Next time? There is no next time!"

"Why not?" Where her voice was rash and angry, his was soft and gentle, and she hated it. She hated him. "You don't have to be a villain. Don't you see, Jinx? You can use your powers to fight bad guys just as well as you can use them to fight heroes. You're not-"

"I'm not _what_, Kid?" Her tone rose a few octaves more desperate than she would have liked, but she couldn't stop herself. _"I'm not a bad person?_ You don't know me! The first fight I had against your precious Titans, I almost killed your fearless leader."

"But you didn't."

Her eyes glowed in frustration, "But I _thought_ I did." He paled at that. She took a step forward forcing him to take a step back as her words continued to boil over. "I thought Robin was dead, and that I killed him. And I laughed! I _celebrated!_ Because that's the kind of person I am!"

Jinx waited for him to say something, but for once, it seemed he was speechless. There was a pity in his eyes she wanted to destroy.

"Don't look at me like that!" With a snarl and a twisted smile, she laughed, "You thought you could race in with a couple of roses and this nice guy routine and you'd _what?_ Sweep me off my feet? Ha! What a _joke._"

He actually looked close to tears. She'd never seen him look so hurt before. Even hiding in a storage unit after being beaten by Madame Rouge, he'd carried an air of confidence that she seemed to have broken with some choice words. Which is what she wanted. She'd been trying to get this hero off her back since the first rose. So _why?_ Why didn't it bring her the joy it was supposed to? Why did it hurt _her_ so much?

He was still silent, his eyes seemed to be searching hers for something. Some regret, some promise. Well, he wasn't going to find, not with her. Jinx looked away, her anger turned to grief.

"I'm never going to be that person you think I am. So do us both a favor and stop trying."

Her words spent, Jinx turned and left. She got to the end of the street and subconsciously paused, waiting for that familiar breeze and the itch of a rose in her hand, but it wasn't there.

For once, the speedster didn't follow.

**Notes:**

_Oof, that hurt to write. I originally had that ending in Kid's perspective, but this was really a Jinx moment. I also had them fighting Kid Zoom instead of Doctor Light, but I really needed the weight to be more with Jinx and Kid Flash, so I needed a more light hearted villain for them to face._

_Next Chapter: A Bouquet Exchange Is Interrupted_


	3. A Bouquet Exchange is Interrupted

**Chapter 3: A Bouquet Exchange Is Interrupted**

**Notes:**

_Copy, pasted from AO3. Please let me know of any weird formatting issues._

_(See the end of the chapter for notes.)_

Kid Flash stood in the middle of the parking lot, completely still. Motionlessness wasn't something he often did, if ever, but right now it felt like he couldn't even move if he wanted to.

Slowly, he took a breath. And then another. He replayed the scene in his head a few more times. "_I'm never going to be that person you think I am. So do us both a favor and stop trying." _Her voice had been angry with an edge of desperation, her eyes wet with tears. It was like her words were double edged swords that left them both similarly hurt. No matter how he tried, he just couldn't seem to get through to her. Everytime he thought he had gotten closer, she pushed him further away. He wasn't really sure where to go from here, but he took a step forward. And then another.

Eventually, he found himself in front of a familiar flower shop.

An older woman with short black curls greeted him with a smile, "Back again I see. I'll have your red rose right up."

"Uh, actually...I don't know, Miss Elisa."

Elisa, paused, noticing the usual peppy hero was lacking his excitable smile.

"Oh, sugar. What happened?"

He wondered that himself. This morning, he'd been so happy, still giddy over their brief kiss. She hadn't remembered it, probably the concussion. Maybe the kiss was just a trick of her concussion too. Kid started playing with the petals of a drooping petunia. Its soft pink compared to her electric wasn't nearly so striking.

Seeing his wistful expression, Elisa gave him a knowing look.

"Had a fight with your sweetheart?"

He chuckled, imagining calling Jinx 'sweetheart'. She'd probably hex him.

"She's not my sweetheart. But… I really do like her a lot." Kid thought of her rare soft smile and how it clashed with her usual harsh words. He sighed, "It doesn't matter much anyway. I'm pretty sure she hates my guts right now."

Miss Elisa frowned. She wasn't sure there was a person on the face of the Earth who could truly hate him.

"Is she a supervillain or something?"

"No!" Kid surprised himself with how angry his voice came out. "Sorry, Miss E. Didn't mean to shout. I just… I think she has a good heart." _Even if she can't see it._

"Don't let it bother you none," she ruffled his hair and saw he had recovered his smile. "I doubt she hates you. Now, I don't know what happened, but if it was an argument you had then it's the purple Hyacinth you need. Wait here. Back in a flash!"

She giggled at her own joke as she went to another stand before returning and presenting a full bouquet to a curious Kid Flash. The clusters of delicate purple flowers looked like tiny violet stars curled around the sturdy stalks.

"_Perfect!" _He said as he scrounged his pockets for change.

"Ah-ah darlin'. This flower's on me." Elisa winked, "Let me know how it goes with your sweetheart."

"Thanks, Miss Elisa! You're the best florist in the world, and I would know."

With that, Flash was off again, as fast as ever.

Jinx was two blocks away when the tears started flowing. She ducked into an alleyway as her shoulders started to shake. _This is what you wanted!_ She tried to pull her mouth back into her signature smirk, but couldn't.

There was this horrible guilt clawing at her was probably still standing in that parking lot with that sorry look on his face. If he was even capable of standing still, but if he _was-_

She didn't know when her feet started moving again, only that they were. Moving made her feel a little better, at least, and her tears finally subsided enough for her to see a bundle of tulips growing out of a planter. Then she realized where she was walking towards and promptly turned around.

_No, nope! _"You've lost it, Jinx." She half whispered to herself, "You've officially lost it."

The red of the tulips caught her eyes again. Red, her new _least_ favorite color. Red like his hair, and his dumb face when she leaned in too close. Red like his roses.

"Ugh! FINE!" She shouted to no one in particular, ripping up the flowers and turning back around.

Jinx trudged back to the parking lot, the bundle of stolen tulips in her fists, dirt still falling from their torn roots. She was rehearsing an apology in her head. It was difficult. Second thoughts kept interrupting. She was a supervillain, what need did she have for apologising? Plus, he was the one who insisted on bothering her. Wasn't even really her fault then. And she didn't even know _how_ to apologise, not truthfully anyway. This was stupid. She should just turn around now before he finds her here and-

A blur buzzed past her. She froze. Maybe he hadn't noticed her.

"Jinx!"

_Shit._ Quickly, she hid the tulips behind her back. "What do you want?"

He hesitated, and she silently scolded herself. She didn't walk back here to make him feel worse.

"I just… I wanted to apologise." With a flourish, he presented her with a neat bundle of purple flowers she didn't know the name of. They were tied in a pretty bow and everything. "I mean, maybe I was pushing too hard. If you really want me to stop with the roses... and other flowers, I can. But I can't give up on you. I won't. It's just-"

Indignant anger flashed through her as she came to the realization he was _stealing her apology._ The audacity of some people.

"What are _you_ apologising for! Are you really-" He flinched and she groaned, "No, I mean, _clearly_ you shouldn't be the one who's sorry. I may have been… a little… _mean._ Cruel, even. And I clearly hurt your feelings and-" Kid's mouth was hanging open in a rather unflattering way. "And I'm _sorry_, ok? I'm sorry I hurt you! Here just take the stupid flowers and close your damn mouth."

She shoved the tulips into his hand and grabbed the purple flowers out of his.

"There, now we're even."

Her cheeks were burning. And he still hadn't said anything.

Then he smiled softly, staring at the torn up tulips that had been thrown at him.

"You… just apologised."

"Yeah, I'm just as surprised as you." She huffed, "Don't get used to it though. I'm still a bad guy."

"A bad guy who digs up tulips for a superhero."

He had that glint in his eye again, the hopeful one he seemed to have reserved for her. One she thought she'd destroyed and hated to admit she loved.

"...Don't push it." She sighed, "I know you think I'm good or whatever. But, I'm really not. I've done some really bad things, Kid."

"Do you regret it?"

There was a long silence. Her mouth pinched into a sharp frown. Finally, she shrugged, "I didn't regret doing them then. What does it matter how I feel about it now?"

She shook her head, still too stubborn to admit what was so obvious to him. Part of him wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake. Push her into an epiphany so she'd see herself as he did. But another part of him knew that wouldn't work. He had to be patient.

He put on his signature smirk and slung an arm over her shoulder. She didn't immediately shrug him off. Another hopeful sign if he did say so himself.

"You know what they say about tulips, Jinxy?" She gave him a warning glare but noticeably relaxed at the changed topic, "_Tulips_ are better than one."

Her nose scrunched up in offense, "I'm never stealing flowers for you again!"

He tried to pout, but couldn't stop smiling. She still hadn't pushed him away.

"You and your stupid dimples." She muttered to herself while smiling softly at the flowers in her hands.

"What was that Jinxy?"

"I said you have stupid dimples!"

He gave an overly dramatic gasp, "Heresy! My dimples are adorable!"

Just to prove it, he smiled. Jinx blushed. Quickly, she turned away, trying to hide it, but he'd already seen it—superspeed and all that—taking those few seconds to memorize the moment. Her irises flashed, her lips parted, the pink under her eyes grew brighter, and he had to remind himself of patience again. Then the moment passed. Just as quickly as she had been flustered, she recovered, rolling her eyes with a huff.

Kid strode up in front of her, strutting backwards. "So, I was thinking-"

"Oh, dangerous past time."

"Indeed," he grinned, and she raised an unmarked brow as he continued, "Anyway, I don't know about you, but I'm _starving. _I was gonna go back to my place and whip up some second breakfast. Wanna join me?"

She stopped in her tracks and smiled slyly, "Are you… asking me out on a date?"

"Yeah- I mean, no!" His voice cracked and she seemed to be mildly amused at his embarrassment, "Unless, if you _wanted_ to but wedonthavetoImean I'mjusthappyyou'retalkingtomeagain-"

"Duck!"

Well, that wasn't the answer he'd been expecting.

"I ...I've never made duck before, but if you wan-"

"No, Kid Idiot!" She slammed into him as they narrowly missed the large truck flying their way. "_Duck!"_

"Oh…My bad," he laughed sheepishly.

"Who did that?"

Looking over her shoulder, his smile fell, "Hold on!"

He immediately grabbed her by the waist, pulling her with him as he dodged a sudden barrage of fast punches. There weren't a lot who could keep up with him, but whoever this was could. Through the speed force, he could see the green and black blur of his opponent. Then he caught a glimpse of their face and stumbled.

It was like looking in an evil mirror.

In his shock, Kid's legs were swiped out from under him. He rolled out of superspeed and hit the gravel, hard. Jinx was flung out of his arms and across the pavement. She staggered to her feet, shaking her head from the jolt. Immediately, he ran to her side, just to be cut off by his evil twin.

He dodged a punch and blocked a kick, thankful for all the training he'd done with the Flash.

"Jinx was right-" A right jab narrowly missed his temple, "Green and black, _so _not our color." Kid quipped as he threw a few of his own punches, "Kid Grinch. Can I call you Grinch?"

The imposter got a lucky jab in and then suddenly had Kid Flash by the throat. Jinx was right. Getting strangled at super speeds was no fun.

"_You Can Call Me Kid Zoom." _Crazed laughter sent a chill down Kid's spine, "_Iamyour friend."_

Kid Flash's quick hearing barely understood Grinch's broken speech, but he scoffed at that.

"Yeah, friends don't attack friends, Zoom."

"_I Was Made tomake youabetterhero WALLY WEST." _Kid Flash froze, the blood drained from his face. How did he know? How did Zoom know his name? Through his ringing ears, he barely heard Zoom's next words. "_Heroes Grow From Loss."_

There was a flash of pink that jolted them from the speed force.

"Kid!"

He vaguely heard Jinx's cry, and the weight of Zoom's words sunk in.

"No, no." He struggled, growing more desperate as Zoom's eyes turned towards her. "Leave her alo-"

Zoom threw him against stone pavement and sprinted towards Jinx. Flash rolled, hit the ground feet first. He turned on his toes and bolted towards them. Everything seemed to slow, almost freeze even.

Zoom was mere inches away from her, hand poised to run right through her like a knife, and at those speeds he could. Jinx was turning towards him in slow motion, eyes still alight, but she wasn't going to be fast enough. And he wasn't close enough. He wasn't—Horror washed over him in the realization.

_I'm not going to be fast enough. _He pushed his panic down. Determination took over. _No! I'm Kid Flash. I'm always fast enough!_

There was a flash, a bolt like lightning crashing over him.

He was standing in front of Jinx, the girl's face twisted in shock and then horror. There was a tightness in his lungs. Looking down, he realized why. A black gloved hand was jutting from his chest.

Jinx screamed, pained and raw like it was ripped from her throat. He tried to reassure her, but the words didn't quite leave his lips.

Everything went pink.

**Notes:**

_...So, that was a rough ending... Let's talk about flowers :D_

_Purple Hyacinths express asking for forgiveness, often meaning great sadness and regret. They get their name from the Greek tragedy of Apollo and Hyacinth/Hyacinthus (one of my favorites, you should look it up if you don't know it). While Kid Flash giving this flower to Jinx symbolizes his apologies for pushing her too hard, they also symbolize Jinx as a whole in this story. She has a lot of things she regrets, a lot of things she'd like to ask forgiveness for, but she doesn't know how and doesn't believe she deserves it._

_Red tulips express love, often true and eternal love, as many red flowers do. Of course, if Jinx knew that, she'd probably be appalled. They can also mean 'believe in me'. While this may symbolize Jinx asking Kid Flash to continue believing in her, it also symbolizes Kid Flash's own unwavering belief. So, the two basically exchange flowers that symbolize each other. Interestingly, there is another love story that goes with red tulips. The tale of Farhad and Shirin differs according to various sources, but tends to end tragically with Farhad killing himself in grief and red tulips sprouting from his blood._

_Hope you enjoyed this long spiel. Next chapter should be up in a few weeks._


	4. Trust Isn't A Four Letter Word

**Chapter 4:** Trust Isn't A Four Letter Word

_Chapter by phoenixblossoms_

_Notes:_

_Copy, pasted from AO3. Please let me know of any weird formatting issues._

_(See the end of the chapter for notes.)_

She wasn't sure how it'd happened. One moment, Zoom and Kid were fighting too quickly for her eye to follow. She blinked and Kid was standing in front of her, a hand jutting through his chest, mouth open like he was trying to say something, but she couldn't hear him over the screams. He collapsed in her arms as the air around her snapped bright with angry sparks.

Everything went pink.

The ground underneath of her was crumbling, light posts bent and then snapped. Through the bright haze, she could see Zoom's sickening smile. Hot rage poured through her fingertips.

She didn't care how fast he was, bad karma had a way of catching up and his luck was _gone_. He seemed to realize the danger and started to escape in a blur, but the green and black met pink sparks. Now he was the one screaming. _Good_. The sickening thought didn't pause her assault.

Jinx had not lost complete control in a very long time, and she found herself having a hard time caring. She'd forgotten what it felt like, channeling this amount of power. It was like being lost in the current of a live wire. And she didn't want to be found.

_"Jinx! Jinx stop!"_

His voice was muffled by the wind, but it still made her freeze. Was she hearing things?

"Kid?"

The pink faded around the edges as her eyes focused on his blue. He was cradling her face in his hands, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I'm okay, it's okay. Breathe."

Jinx grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him into a hug, something she'd later deny. Burying her head in his neck, she drew in a strangled breath that was broken by a hiccup as she started to sob.

"I- I thought you were _dead!"_

"Sorry."

She started shaking him by his shoulders, "Don't do that again!"

"Got it," Kid rose his hand in promise, "No more almost dying for me. Next time I'll make sure to be completely dead."

Jinx sniffled, "Yes, please do."

He helped her to her feet, and they turned to where Kid Zoom had been.

"How-"

There was cracked black pavement and broken glass, but the evil speedster was nowhere to be seen.

"He's gone." There was a hint of panic in Kid's voice. "He's_ gone."_

Jinx shook her head, "That doesn't make any sense! I shot him with enough bad mojo to dust lady luck herself."

Kid stumbled back, looking a few shades paler than his usual pale. She could only guess it was his near death experience, but comforting wasn't her strong suit. In fact, she could count on one hand the amount of times she'd cared enough to try…. Well, two hands now.

"Kid?" She squeezed his hand in hers. "Hey, we'll catch him."

"We?"

"Yeah, well, just this once. He did destroy my flowers, so." He tried to smile but faltered, and Jinx got the sense that something was very wrong. "Kid? Are you okay?"

The next words came out a broken whisper, "He knows my name."

There was a deafening silence between them as she tried and failed to imagine what he must be feeling. She'd never had a secret identity to protect, no family to lose.

"Well, shit."

"Yup." Kid ran a worrying hand through his hair. "He knows who I am. Jinx, _what am I going to do?"_

He was leaning against her, clearly exhausted, and she could hear the sound of his stomach grumbling.

"If you're this tired, Zoom can't be much better off. He has to recover too. Which means we have time, however short it may be, to come up with a plan or something."

Kid sighed, his mouth pinched.

"I'm not running anywhere right now. It'll take an hour to recharge, maybe less with food. If Zoom is like me- and he has to be- then we can expect a similar cool down time from him."

"We can't go back to your place. If it's connected to your civilian self, it's too risky. And the Titan Tower is way too obvious." She slung his arm over her shoulder and smirked, "So, second breakfast at my place then?"

He finally cracked a smile, "I'd like that."

Scanning the parking lots, she picked out their ride, a pretty purple convertible. He must've noticed the glint in her eye because he pulled her away from it.

"Jinx no."

"Jinx _yes_." She retorted, "Listen, we don't have time to argue and unless you have spare change or a bus pass in that skintight suit of yours, this will be the quickest way to get there."

"You're not hotwiring that car. Just wait a sec."

She glared at him, thinking his morals were rather useless in a time like this. Then she heard the sound of sirens and growled, "Great, the coppers."

The instinct to bolt made her stiffen. Kid gave her hand what she assumed to be a comforting squeeze. She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced the glow in her eyes to dim.

An officer left the car and started shouting, his taser pointed at her and his other hand on his holster. "Let the hero go, witch!"

She felt her hands spark defensively.

"Woah! Officer, chill! Stand down!" Kid seemed a little shocked. She figured he'd never been on the wrong end of the law before. "She's helping me. We were attacked by a meta, some new speedster. She just saved my life."

The officer looked at her suspiciously, "She doesn't have you hostage?"

Jinx snorted, "Please! If I wanted him hostage, I wouldn't have waited for you uniformed monkeys to show up."

"_Jinx_," He prodded her side with his elbow, and she bit her tongue from further insults. "Anyway, I'm outta gas. Can you give us a ride? It's urgent, the state of the world and all that. You understand."

Officer McTaser huffed as he opened the door, "Well, if she turns on you, just give me the signal."

Jinx looked away, her cheeks heated.

The drive was stiflingly quiet. Kid leaned against her shoulder while Jinx did her best to ignore the officer's sharp stare. They turned the corner, passing her vacation home. A few blocks later the car came to a stop.

Jinx practically leapt out, not wanting to stay under that man's gaze for another second. She could hear him whispering to Kid. The speedster snapped something back and slammed the door shut behind him.

Jinx raised a brow at his rare angered expression. He noticed her stare and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Cop asked for a tip," so the hero could lie. Not very well though.

Jinx decided not to push the matter and simply replied with a shrug, "What, did he think the spandex came with a wallet?"

Her joke seemed to relax him. He looked at the modest cottage with a smile. "You know, you really shouldn't crash in people's homes."

"Not like they're usin' it. Really, it's a waste not to borrow." She took a quick look around to make sure she didn't have a tail. "Doesn't matter, this isn't the place. Follow me."

He gave her a curious look as she ducked around the corner cautiously.

"Jinx… The cop is long gone."

"Can never be too safe. Plus, what if that grinch decided to follow us?"

He didn't answer and just followed her lead, his shoulders slumped. They arrived at the iron gates of what could only be described as a mansion. Kid looked at her nervously as she jumped over the fence with ease.

"Jinx, we shouldn't be here."

"Chill Kid. I've been crashing here a week." His worried frown tightened as she glitched the lock with a hex. "Even if the rich snobs show up, you can just use your heroic charm. Come on."

Hesitantly, he stepped in. "Just for now. And we're leaving a note."

"Whatever helps ya sleep at night, hero."

Once in the house, Kid immediately flopped onto the sofa. All the thoughts he'd been pushing down on the drive here were coming back up. What was he going to do? He curled up with his hands covering his eyes. Zoom knew his name, knew who his family was, where they lived. Would he go after them? What if he found out who the Flash was? What if he-

"Kid," Jinx's voice interrupted his spiraling thoughts. Her slender hand rested on his head as she sat beside him. "It's going to be ok. We're going to figure this out."

A broken cry escaped him as he simply shook his head.

"Are you calling me a liar, Kid?" There was caring humor to her words that made him chuckle.

"No, I just- Jinx, I'm so _scared_."

"I know." Her hands were still in his hair. "I am too."

"Then why are you still here?" He was not accusatory. Mostly, he sounded tired. "You could always just ditch town. Why are you really helping me?"

She was quiet for a moment and then sighed, "Do I have to tell you the truth?"

Kid thought about the cop and his suspicious words. He realized she didn't trust anyone and nobody trusted her. Except him.

"No, it doesn't matter." He said truthfully, "I'm just happy you're here."

When he stole a glance at her, she was smiling softly. It was peaceful and unguarded, and he wondered if she'd ever shown this face to anyone else.

She caught him staring and practically jumped off the couch, her cheeks a bright pink.

"I'm gonna go call in some favors." She said with her back turned.

"Do the favors involve pizza?" He tried to cover his flushed face with his arm and hoped his voice cracking would explain the red on his ears. "Because I'm starving."

Jinx smacked him with a pillow, "Fine. But ya better be paying me back, hero."

The pink on her cheeks was still bright, like she hadn't been able to put her walls up all the way again.

"Of course. That's what heroes do."

**Notes:**

_Sorry this was late. I don't know when I'll be updating this next, but I will try for an update every two weeks. No promises tho_


	5. Phoning A Friend

**Chapter 5: Phoning a Friend**

Jinx's fingers hesitated over the button. There was very little she hated more than asking for help. It was a sign of weakness, one she had been taught to avoid as much as possible. But these were desperate times, so desperate measures.

She pressed send. It rang once, then twice. Part of her hoped it would just keep ringing, but she wouldn't be so lucky.

A suave voice answered.

"Well, if it isn't little lady unlucky. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Jinx bit down a groan, hating the enjoyment in his voice. "I'm calling in a favor, X."

There was a pause on the other end. She worried he'd just hang up on her. It's not as though the two of them were close. One small save between baddies meant very little, but she considered Red X to be one of the more honorable villains.

"Not sure I remember owing you one, Beautiful."

"Yes, well ya do. Don't pretend to have forgotten that tight spot I got you out of after you ruined my mark." She growled, "Or do I have to waste my energy reminding you?"

"No need for that, though I wouldn't mind seeing those pretty eyes of yours again." Jinx barely kept herself from hexing her phone. Were all boys so infuriating? "What can I do for you?"

"I need something that can incapacitate a speedster. At least long enough to get an inhibitor collar on him. You have something like that?"

"Do I? Of course I do, but why would I let you borrow something like that? Plus, it's not like this stuff would mix well with your bad luck."

She already knew that, she wasn't stupid. "I'm not asking to borrow it. But, if you _happen_ to be in town at noon and you _happen_ to pass by the boarded up church on the corner of Phoenix and Ninth then your services may be needed."

There was another short silence before he answered again. This time there was some excitement in his voice.

"Sounds like a party, I'll dust off my cross."

"Good." Jinx smiled. "Oh. And aim for the green and black. Not the red and yellow."

She hung up before he could ask any further questions and glanced at the clock. It was 10:30. They had a little time left. Dialing another number, she noticed Kid pacing in the kitchen and spoke a little louder when they answered.

"Yeah, I'll have one of everything."

He paused at the promise of food before pacing again. Jinx didn't know what to do. She wasn't used to this whole caring thing. One thing she was sure about though was that ugly green bastard had better count his blessings while he had them because she was gonna hex him so hard he'd be tripping over black cats for the next decade.

Kid usually was an expert at keeping his cool in a crisis. He was used to high stakes, but this was more than that. Wringing his hands together, he had to summon some courage before picking up the phone.

It rang for less than a second.

"I saw on the news." His mentor said, a worried edge to his voice. "Are you ok, Kid?"

Sinking onto the cold floor, he shook his head before remembering this was a phone call and Uncle Barry couldn't actually see him.

"No, no I'm really not." He choked out, hoping Jinx couldn't hear him from the other room. "Barry, it's really bad. It's really really bad."

"Ok, Kid. Deep breaths. Tell me where you are. I can help-"

"I have help, but I just, I don't know-"

"You mean that Jinx girl? _Kid_, we talked about this."

"Yeah, I know, and I still say you're wrong. She saved my life today. Isn't that enough?"

"Could be a trick." His uncle stubbornly answered.

"I know you don't trust her, but can you trust me on this? And, it doesn't matter what you think about her anyway. That's not why I called."

"Why did you call?" Barry sounded a second from racing over to Jump City. "What happened out there today, Wall?"

Wally took a deep breath, "Kid Zoom knows my name. I don't know how, heck, I don't even know where he came from, but he _knows who I am_. I-I don't know what to _do_."

There was a short silence on the other end, but to the speedster it seemed like an eternity.

"Ok. Ok," Uncle Barry was muttering on the other end of the phone. "I'll contact J'onn… And Bats. He'll lose his head if I don't tell him." Then he sounded a little more assured, "Don't worry, Kid. Everything's going to be alright."

"I'm sorry. I put you in danger and-"

"You don't need to apologize, Kid. It's an unfortunate part of the job." Barry sighed, "I hope you're right about that Jinx girl. Times like these, you'll need someone you can trust."

Wally noticed Jinx had hung up on the pizza guy. She walked his way. Standing up, he smoothed his hair and tried to look like he hadn't just spent a minute crying on the kitchen floor. Though he'd half expected some cutting comment on his red eyes matching his hair, she stayed silent. Leaning against the counter next to him, Jinx avoided his gaze. Wally hung up the phone. She held his hand, and he felt himself relax a little more.

"Pizza'll be here in an hour. Better eat fast. We have a show to catch at noon."

"You know I can." He winked, and she rolled her eyes. "What're we watching?"

"I don't know…" Jinx grinned, eyes aglow. "Do you like fireworks?"


End file.
